The Victoria school district is left in confusion after Tuesday’s provincial budget announcement.
B.C. school boards will have to cut $29 million in the next year, and $54 millionover the next two years. These cuts must come from administration and not classrooms, state the budget.
Edith Loring-Kuhanga, Victoria School District 61 chair, said it is unclear what that will mean.
“We have to do an analysis of the budget and then get a better idea of exactly the impact that’s going to have on us,” she said. “Right now, just an estimate, we feel it’s going to cost us about $1 million.”
She added she is unsure whether the government expects school districts to cut administration, find savings in shared services or a combination of both.
“We know it’s going to have a huge impact on us, we just have to figure out how and where it’s going to be.”
Carole James, Victora-Beacon Hill MLA said she thinks school boards have already “cut to the bone.”
“Any further cuts are going to impact students and impact classrooms,” she said.
Rob Fleming, Victoria-Swan Lake MLA said he thinks British Columbians were expecting the government to invest more in education.
“The K to 12 ministry, after so much chaos, did not get the resources that our classrooms need,” he said.
